Commonwealth v. Prunty

The defendant, Daniel J. Prunty, was convicted by a Superior Court jury of murder in the first degree on a theory of deliberate premeditation. The defendant was convicted also of assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon and attempted extortion. The convictions arose from an altercation at the defendant’s home on August 7, 2004, during which the defendant fatally shot the victim, Jason Wells. On appeal, the defendant argues that the judge erred both in rejecting his exercise of a peremptory challenge of a member of the venire during jury empanelment and in improperly providing a…